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Monday, March 1, 2010

Password Please

No - I'm not talking about the Allen Ludden 1960's show with frequent guest star Betty White. Nor am I referring to Season 7 Episode 7 of Seinfeld with "Bosco" - George Costanza's Secret Password ATM Code.

I'm talking about the challenge of internet passwords and the aging demographics of the baby boomers in the ability to remember the passwords.

Technology security consists of your user id, a familiar picture, three secret questions, and finally your password. How much time have you spent retrieving a password that you've forgotten? Or worse yet Explorer, Firefox or Outlook has "lost" the "memorized" password you entered ages ago?

What was to be a quick on-line access has turned into "PASSWORD HELL". Maybe you tried three times and are now locked out for 15 minutes - maybe completely until you call the 800 customer service number. Then you find out the new password or PIN will be mailed to your home in 3-6 days.

And what about those web-sites that make you re-set the password every 180 days. Or require one Capitalized letter, one number and one special symbol ---- all in the name of security and identity theft protection.